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Sunday, October 9, 2011

Winter Squash Recipes

Winter
Squash Recipes

In my last article on winter squash I gave a general overview of winter squash, now, here are a host of winter squash recipes collected from friends, fellow gardeners, and fellow home economists. Remember, most squash are easily
substituted, so if you don't have access to one kind, try whatever is handy. Acorn, butternut,
buttercup, delicata and kabocha are fairly similar and can be use
interchangeably. Delicata and kabocha
are most like sweet potato and can also be used in recipes calling for sweet
potatoes. Spaghetti squash has a very
unique stringy texture that makes the most wonderful, delicious and nutritious
substitute for spaghetti noodles. Hubbard,
turban and buttercup are the most difficult to cut through and may work best as
decorations.

Have fun experimenting!

Simple Cubed or Purreed Squash

Submitted by Getty Stewart, PHEc.

Sometimes, simple is best. If you’re just looking for a delicious side
dish that provides a little more interest, nutrition and flavour than potatoes
or rice, try these techniques to cook squash.
Once you have the flesh, choose
seasonings that will accompany your meal or simply use a little salt and pepper
and serve either cubed or mashed like potatoes or sweet potatoes.

Oven Baking:

Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place cut-side down
on a greased baking dish. Bake at 375°F (190° C) for 45
minutes to 1 hour or until tender. Once cool to touch, remove flesh from
rind. Cube or mash.

Steaming:

Cut squash into large pieces, remove seeds and place in steamer and cook
until tender, about 25 to 35 minutes. Remove flesh from rind and cube or
mash. Butternut squash has a thinner
skin than most squash, to steam it, peel and cut squash to desired size before
steaming. HINT: Cut the neck off the
butternut squash and stand it upright on a cutting board to make peeling
easier. Scoop out the seeds from the
bulb, slice it into disks and then peel.

Boiling:

Peel and cut squash into pieces. Cover with water and boil until tender,
about 15 to 20 minutes.

Spaghetti Squash with Butter and
Parmesan

By
Getty Stewart, PHEc, www.veggiedelight.ca

1 Spaghetti Squash

2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

2 TbspButter,
melted

¼ cupParmesan
Cheese, freshly grated

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 TbspChopped
parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly
grease a baking sheet. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove
seeds. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and
bake 30- 60 minutes until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance.
Remove squash from oven and cool slightly.Use a fork gently scrape the inside of the squash to create spaghetti
like strands.Scoop into a serving bowl
and toss with melted butter, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and chopped parsley.

Preheat oven
to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a
baking sheet. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking
sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be
inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside
to cool enough to be easily handled.

Meanwhile,
heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add
garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until
tomatoes are warm.

Use a large
spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl.
Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

Confetti
Spaghetti Squash

Courtesy of previous
article by Donna Nelson, Public Health
Nutritionist

1/4
cup Chicken Broth 60 mL

1
tsp Olive Oil 5
mL

1
tsp Wine Vinegar 5 ml

1/2
cup Diced Green Pepper 125 mL

1/2
cup Diced Sweet Red Pepper 125 mL

1/4
cup Diced Onion 60 mL

1/4
cup Minced Fresh Parsley 60 mL

1/4
tsp Ground Cumin 1 mL

1 Clove Garlic, minced 1

1 Medium Spaghetti Squash,
cooked 1

Combine all of the ingredients
except the squash in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for
about two minutes. Add the cooked squash and toss until mixed. Cover and
microwave for two additional minutes. Serve piping hot and enjoy the sumptuous
squash!

Pre-heat oven 375°F.
Cut squash into quarters, remove seeds, drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil,
salt and pepper and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake squash for
30-35 min until fork tender.

Meanwhile, in a large soup
pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Add onions,
garlic, ginger, and jalapeno and sauté until soft. Add curry paste, stir and continue to sauté. Add
vegetable stock. Scrape squash flesh from the skin and mash into the soup. Add
can of coconut milk. Adjust thickness of
soup with additional vegetable stock or water.
Simmer for 15 minutes. Use an
immersion blender or pour into blender to puree into a smooth textured
soup. Adjust seasoning as desired. Garnish
with chopped cilantro or basil and serve.

Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

Submitted by Getty Stewart, PHEc.
Recipe created by the Home Economists of Winnipeg Hydro.

Cut both squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut halves
crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices; place in a large bowl. Add half of each
the oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Place squash on lightly oiled grill over medium heat. Close lid and grill,
turning once, until tender and browned, about 10 minutes. Whisk together sage,
vinegar, mustard garlic, and remaining oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle this
mixture over grilled squash.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes in Acorn Squash Rings

Courtesy of previous article byDorothy Lang from
the Association of Saskatchewan Home Economists.

Slice squash into 1/2 inch (1 cm) crosswise rings, clean out centre, lay
flat in a large skillet, add water to cover bottom of pan, cover and cook over
medium heat until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain; keep warm.

Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain
potatoes, return to pot, and mash with potato masher until all large pieces are
broken up. In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat melt butter, add garlic
and sauté for 1 minute. Add milk, increase heat to medium, and heat until
hot but not boiling. Add milk mixture gradually to potatoes, while mashing,
until all milk is used and potatoes are creamy. Stir in dill if desired.

Measure all ingredients, except chives, into a food processor and process for
about 1 minute, until mixture begins to form a ball. Scoop out dough onto a
floured board and knead dough, while incorporating chopped chives and extra
flour as needed, for about 5 minutes. Form dough into a ball, wrap with plastic
wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Set up pasta machine.

Cut dough into four pieces, keeping dough covered as you work. Roll each piece
through machine settings: Qne, Four and Seven. Cut each strip into 6 or 7
pieces which will measure approximately 3 x 6 inches (7.5 x 15 cm).

Place 1 tsp of butternut filling on each 3 inch end. Moisten all around with
water. Fold one end over the other to end up with 3 x 3 inch (7.5 x 7.5 cm)
ravioli. Cook in boiling salted water for 2 minutes.

Butternut Squash and Pecan Filling

1 butternut squash,
seeds removed and cut into large chunks 1

1 large onion, peeled and cut
in half 1

1 head garlic, top cut off to expose tips
of garlic within 1 head

2-4 Tbsp canola oil 30-60
mL

1/4 cup yogurt 60
mL

2 tsp lemon juice 10
mL

1 tsp lemon zest 5
mL

2 Tbsp chopped chives 30
mL

1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped 60
mL

salt and pepper, to taste

Brush all sides of squash chunks, onion
halves and garlic head liberally with canola oil. Place on parchment
paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 F (180 C) for 45- 60 minutes, until
vegetables are soft and nicely browned. Remove skins from squash and garlic. Process
all vegetable pieces in food processor. Add yogurt, lemon juice and lemon zest.
Process mixture again until smooth. Scrape down sides of processor bowl. Scoop
mixture into a bowl and stir in chives and finely chopped pecans. Add salt and
pepper to taste. The filling is ready at this point to prepare the ravioli.